Crush
by Jj David Lee
Summary: How Naoto found out about her crush on 'him' and what she felt... My first one-shot! Hope you enjoy this.


**Author's Notes: Hello, everyone. This is actually my first attempth at a one-shot, and about something like this... I hope I did fine! It's just a little something for Naoto, my favorite female character in Persona. XD. I'm a boy, but I'm trying to write this through her mind. Well...let me know what you guys think! :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 or Naoto's so gonna be mine. ;)

* * *

Crush

* * *

**

It was raining heavily outside. Naoto's mood just became gloomier. She was looking forward to a relaxing Sunday which she wanted to spend with her friends. Instead, it rained. The downpour was so heavy, that people might have mistook it for a typhoon passing by Inaba. Naoto just sighed as she walked away from the window.

She felt uneasy, being unable to see her friends. Moreover, she didn't get to see 'him'. That strange feeling aroused to her, again. Though she was titled the Detective Prince (or Princess), Naoto had difficulties figuring this unfamiliar sensation out. This feeling had just awakened inside her not long ago, probably in weeks. She didn't have a clue about what's going inside her. She just sighed.

Naoto tried looking through some files regarding minor cases around Inaba to ease her boredom. Somehow, that feeling was getting in her way. She wasn't able to concentrate fully in her detective work. Her mind's too crowded for the moment for any deductions, too crowded with images of 'him'.

The blue-haired teenager blushed, thinking about 'him'. She's been trying to get rid of this feeling, but things just get worse. As the image flashed before her a fifth time, Naoto lost her calm. She decided to call for help. The detective started pressing down the contact list in her cell phone, and stopped by the name 'Souji Seta'.

While it looked as if she could open up to her senpai and tell him almost everything, Naoto had a hunch not to do so, this time. She didn't know for sure what made her think so, probably it was her detective's intuition. In fact, she felt like she can't call any of her male friends on this, especially not 'him', since he was the cause. Naoto hesitated for a while, and made a decision to call her idol friend, Rise Kujikawa.

"_Hello, this is Rise speaking!!!_" Rise's enthusiastic voice pierced through the noisy sounds of raindrops beating on the window. "_Hey, Naoto-kun!!!_"

Though Naoto's a girl, she never minded her friends addressing her with '-kun'. That warm feeling inside her was still stirring. Desperately needing aid, Naoto told Rise the whole problem straightforwardly.

Rise giggled.

"_I think I know what's wrong with you!_" she said.

"Am I sick?" Naoto asked.

"_You're sick, alright, you're LOVESICK, Naoto,_" Rise ended with a giggle.

"L-Lovesick?" Naoto repeated word, slightly flabbergasted. She, for one, had not touched any romance novels other than her grandfather's detective fictions. And it would normal for a girl like her to not know about being lovesick herself. Naoto thought deeply about this for a while, stroking her lips with her index finger. She had to agree with her friend her, after seeing how the facts fit in her case, especially the variable which is 'him'.

"_So you do have some feminine stuff in you, Naoto-kun,_" Rise said in a teasing voice. "_Tell me, who was it that made you have a crush on him so badly?_"

"U-Um…" Naoto blushed deeper. She wasn't sure if she wanted to tell Rise about 'him', in fact, she wasn't sure about telling anyone at all. "N-No one," she forcefully said.

"_You're such a pathetic liar, Nao—_"

Before Rise could finish, Naoto nervously pressed the cancel button on her cell. She was relieved about being able to find out what's wrong with her, but worried at the same time, with Rise now knowing that she secretly liked someone. Naoto started to fret. What if her friend starts spreading rumors all around the school? She was losing her usual calmness, and was blushing like mad. She just shook her head irritatingly, trying to regain her coolness, but failed. The mad desire to see 'him' inside Naoto continued to haunt her for the rest of the rain.

Alas, the rain subsided. Naoto grabbed the deep blue overcoat that she usually wore and rushed out of her house while adjusting her hat. Yes, taking a walk outside would be the most rational thing to do to calm her nerves. That's what she thought. But still, she couldn't get her mind off 'him'. With every corner around the streets she turned, Naoto couldn't help but hoping to bump into 'him'.

_Maybe a meal at Aiya's will do to calm myself down…_ the Detective Prince silently thought, pacing across the shopping district's pavements filled with puddles of rainwater.

The 'him' inside her mind was getting more and more visible. It's as if she could just feel him beside her; despite it was just her imagination. She kept her hat down, wanting to hide her blush from anyone from the streets. People would start feeling awkward, seeing the calm and cool Detective Prince, Naoto Shirogane blushing nervously.

Naoto gritted her teeth for a moment, and then loosen on it. She halted her paces and stood in the middle of the slippery pavement just in front of Daidara's. She gave up on trying to push the feeling back any further, for it seemed to get stronger every time she attempted to do so. Naoto decided to let go her nervousness, and just let it be.

The crush sort of took over her, like a possessing spirit. Naoto walked towards Aiya's Chinese Restaurant in a slow pace, her mind flooded with 'him', over and over again.

Then, the madness stopped. Her thirst was quenched. Her aching heart eased. Everything inside her got enlightened in a brief moment, because she met 'him', right in front of Aiya's. But the blush didn't fade, and her heart was pumping faster than ever, probably setting a world record. She felt indescribable joy inside her as she saw 'him'.

As if time had frozen, Naoto continued to gaze unconsciously at 'him' for what seemed like eternity. Her lips slowly turning to a smile as her thoughts continued to run wild all over her. Then, 'him' saw Naoto, and called out to her.

"S'up, Naoto-chan?" Kanji Tatsumi greeted.

Kanji, her classmate and comrade in fighting the Shadows, was the only one in the group to address her with '-chan'. However, she didn't mind at all. Not the slightest protest rose inside her.

"N-Nothing, just grabbing myself a meal," she forced herself to reply with her usual calm tone.

"I was about to do the same thing!" Kanji stated, ruffling his seemingly white hair. "Man, all this rain is making me hungry…"

Naoto chuckled. She mustered all the courage inside her, and asked, "C-Care to join me?"

"Sure thing, Naoto-chan!" Kanji agreed almost immediately.

As the two of them walked inside Aiya's, Naoto couldn't help but throw a wild party inside her heart for some reasons. Well, you know why, don't you?

* * *

**There! How was it? XD Btw, if you don't mind, please check out my other fic: Afterlife Tales as well! I hope you all enjoy! Oh, and don't forget the reviews!**


End file.
